Summer is back! And we are headed out on a ghost tour in Old Town Alexandria!

We have very exciting things planned for this summer. The boys got out Wednesday, and I took them to Sweet Frog. That is one of my favorite traditions with the boys. It’s one of the few things we can all agree to love.

Living in the D.C. area, the day trip options are endless, and Old Town Alexandria is more than worthy of its spot on our list of things to do when you’re in the area.

My friends Amy and Zoe joined me for this adventure. We set out to go on a ghost tour of Old Town Alexandria, and we decided to make a night of it.

This was actually my first ghost tour ever. I’ve never been on one before.

You know a friend truly knows me well when she starts out by volunteering to drive into Old Town for me. If you’ve never been, you should know that driving in the D.C. area is kind of a pain, or at least it is to me. There is so much traffic. But really the problem is I have absolutely ZERO sense of direction.

Even with GPS, I make it, but I struggle.

I’m notorious for getting lost, missing turns, etc. Amy driving put me in a fantastic mood right off the bat because I recognize my own weaknesses.

We found a $5 parking garage basically right across the street from the ghost tours.

Yes! In any big city, that is a win. It’s a $10 parking garage during the day. After 6 pm, it has a $5 fee cap.

Then Amy navigated us past the town hall, down a couple of blocks, to a Mexican restaurant called Don Taco. We opted to eat inside in the glorious air conditioning. It was hot and humid outside, as it usually is in Alexandria in June.

We all had the chips and salsa. Zoe and I ordered birria tacos, which were delicious. You only need a couple, as it looked like they took the crunchy taco shell and fried it. However, if you just drink water and don’t go too crazy with the chips, you can eat two tacos and leave the restaurant without that heavy “I just ate my weight in Mexican food” feeling.

OH!!! Also, Don Taco had each item marked as “GF” if it was gluten free, which I almost never find at Mexican restaurants, so I was thrilled and safe.

Amy ordered some kind of rice bowl, which did look much healthier than my tacos, but it must have been filling because she liked it but she couldn’t finish it. We all agreed we would definitely eat there again.

Our dinner was delicious and refreshing. Mexican food just never disappoints. The scenery of Old Town in general is so pleasant too. There is excellent window shopping and two-hundred-year old town houses line the streets in varieties of colors and decor.

This particular night was very crowded down town, which was kind of odd for a random Wednesday night in June.

The additional crowds gave the whole area a vibrant atmosphere.

Now some of you may be like my husband and turn your nose up at the idea of a “ghost tour,” but I’ve always wanted to do one.

I mean, what’s not to love? I get a tour around a town I have not explored thoroughly. The tour is focused on historical events of the town. My friends or family come with me, so we have a much needed night out. Plus, I have always enjoyed a good scary story based on real people.

Or you may be more like one of my sons who asked, “What is a ghost tour?”

A ghost tour is basically a walk through a city or town with a tour guide where they stop by locations where historic or tragic things happened. They tell you the story of what happened there, which is almost always a true story, and then they tell you what strange happenings or ghost sightings have happened there in the years that followed.

A ghost tour is a fun way to learn the history of any place.

It reminds me of when I was a kid and I read every one of those 13 Ghosts of Alabama books. Do you remember those? They used to have one for every southern state, though now they seem to be all out of print. If you liked those stories, you will enjoy a ghost tour. It’s like learning all the lore of a local place, in the form of campfire ghost stories based on real historical events.

I’m not a horror fan though. I can only handle ghost stories in small doses, or I will be hiding under my covers and making a mad dash from the bathroom back to my room at night.

Alexandria Ghosts has several different kinds of tours to choose from. We did the 8:00pm Phantoms of the Potomac.

It was getting towards dusk, truly the perfect time to do a ghost tour. If you want to feel more nervous, I would say do the 10pm version. I personally don’t go anywhere that late, much less on a ghost tour.

I was taking a photo of the pretty hydrangea bushes, when someone offered to take our picture for us! Who says there aren’t still nice people?

You know, we kept marveling at how many people were in town on a Wednesday night. It just occurred to me we were sandwiched between school ending and this big Army parade happening in D.C. this weekend. That may be one reason Old Town was especially busy this week.

After a quick restroom stop at Alexandria Town Hall, we joined our Ghost Tour group.

There are multiple tour groups meeting in the square, but this group meets by the stage in front of Town Hall.

We had an enjoyable tour guide named Janda. Janda told her stories with enthusiasm and good humor. We all liked Janda.

The first place Janda led us to was Gadsby’s Tavern, one of the most famous local spots.

It’s mostly famous because it is well known that President George Washington frequented that tavern, and it’s incredible that it is still open. There is even a museum on one side of it.

I have often wanted to go there but was never sure exactly where it was. Well, now I know where to find it. It is close to Town Hall. Plus, we got to learn about the stranger ghost who apparently stays at the tavern.

Already we were marking landmarks off my local bucket list.

Now one day I need to go back and go inside!

Our next stop was this coffee shop. Pretty much every single building you pass in Old Town is historical. This building has been many different things over the years. Zoe and Amy both remembered when it was a delightful candy store.

They say this place is haunted, though the ghost does not bother the people in the business. A tragic accidental death happened there, followed closely by her fiance’s suicide. It was a terribly sad story.

Meanwhile, the current shop is a must visit. We went in there at the end of the night. I had a delicious decaf iced vanilla latte, and I think Zoe had gelato. It was extra fun because we ran into a friend of theirs working the counter! Amy and Zoe are far more acquainted with Old Town than I am, so they even know people there.

Our next stop had yet another President George Washington association.

This is a church with a graveyard attached. In fact, in the back this church appears to run slap into another church. It’s all a little crowded back there. I do not recall much of the stories from this place, as I was so busy trying to get a few good photos here. I can be a little obsessive with my camera.

However, my camera did capture the connection this church boasts of to George Washington:

Now for the graveyard in back:

Also, Janda explained to us the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery, which I had not the slightest clue about. She said a graveyard belongs to a church. A cemetery does not.

Now if you are here for the spooky part, this would be your favorite part.

This is basically a Revolutionary War era graveyard from what I gathered, though it is very hard to read anything written on these weathered tombstones. I was strolling through these stones, taking photos, trying to figure out where Zoe went (she stopped to pet an orange tabby cat), and enjoying the refreshing cold spots.

You know how you can be in the lake, and there are areas that are just ice cold, and other areas that are normal? Well, that’s how this graveyard is. It was chock full of icy patches, and I loved it because it was eighty degrees, and we’d been outside for a while. Oh, and it was an almost sticky humid evening.

We all gathered near the caged grave in the corner to listen to our tour guide tell us all about the Unknown Revolutionary soldier. Zoe moved on from the orange tabby cat, and we all reformed as a group. Janda said that this is one of the most haunted places in the city, and that several things are often reported here.

She told us about people seeing faces in the church windows, visitors reporting “cold spots,” and this, that, and some other things. I don’t know because as she mentioned the cold spots, I was busy leaning into one to get cooled off! Then all I could think about was, “Wait. What?”

Wait a minute. Cold spots are weird? This place is FULL of them.

Well, I still can’t tell you whether it means anything or not, but if cold spots means spirits, this place is dancing with spirits.

I checked with my friends. It was crazy cold in there, right? You felt that? Nope, nope, nope. It was just me. Zoe was only thinking about her new cat friend, and Amy said it was hot just like everywhere else.

Huh. Well, what do ya think of that?

But that’s not all, this place boasts something that would interest any history buff.

The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War soldier resides in this humble church yard.

You can read more about it on the American Legion’s page here. Our guide, Janda, knew all about it. She said when they were rebuilding the wall back there (or renovating a building or something), they found this full Revolutionary War skeleton. It is all very official. He is the Unknown Revolutionary.

There are other memorials throughout the country to the Revolutionary War’s unknown soldiers, but this is the tomb.

A Civil War soldier was murdered in this tunnel. Other people have also been murdered there, way back in the past. It used to have train tracks inside.

There was a couple on our tour who had their engagement photos done here. They said the photographer’s camera would only take black and white photos in the tunnel, but everywhere else the photos were color, but no matter how much light they added, the photos still came out black and white. Isn’t that weird?

This is a popular place to walk in the city. Most people do not know about its being haunted, or they pay it no attention.

The most famous Spite house in Alexandria is something like six inches slimmer than the one in the photo. This was my first time to see any of them in person, though I have read about them before. We were excited to see this too!

By the way, that skinny little home sells for over $800,000, which is why we have never lived in Old Town Alexandria.

Janda varies her tours. You can go on the same tour more than once and actually see different places. It was seriously crowded with other ghost and history tour groups that night, so we skipped some popular spots to see others like the tunnel that were more out of the way, just to have more space.

Janda was full of historical information, and our tour was peppered with it. The stories were so detailed. I took no notes, so you are getting the Cliffs notes to the Cliffs notes.

I don’t even know what the building above is, but check out the buck!! You couldn’t pick a better city in America to take a walking tour.

Our last stop on the tour was the Carlisle house. It used to be much larger than this when it was a hotel. In person, you can see the marks on the red brick building next to it where the buildings used to touch. The house used to extend far forward and out to the side.

The ghost stories for this house occurred outside and in the torn down hotel. This is also a museum that you can tour during open hours.

We didn’t ride the trolley, but I took a photo of it. I think it’s an important staple of Old Town, and if you do get to go tour Alexandria, definitely take a ride on the trolley. It goes up and down the length of King Street, and it is free to everyone.

After our tour, we headed back to the haunted coffee and gelato shop, as I mentioned before. I highly recommend it, and don’t worry about the haunted part. Most people don’t even know that’s the case. We just learned so much on our tour!

I should’ve photographed my refreshing iced latte. It was the perfect way to end the night. Instead, I’ll leave you with one last Old Town photo, and a link you can click to check out a ghost tour near you, or an Alexandria one like we went to. They do ghost tours like this everywhere!

Click here to book a ghost tour anywhere in the U.S.

Go here to learn more or book a ghost tour in Alexandria, Virginia.

They do tours in Washington, D.C. too.

Not into the spooky side of things? Alexandria and D.C. Ghost Tours also offer ones that are more centered on history and spy activity. You could check that out instead.

We had a blast, and I can’t wait for our next adventure. Many thanks to US Ghost Adventures for the tickets. This is an unsponsored review, and all opinions are my own.

Drop me a comment below, and tell me what you think!

The post Touring Old Town Alexandria with a Ghost Tour appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

Did you know 2024 year is an important year for the D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival?

It is the last year before major sea wall renovations force the park service to take down over one hundred and fifty trees. Don’t worry. Trees will be re-planted. This legitimately needs to be done due to flooding on one side of the Tidal Basin.

It isn’t the entire Tidal Basin that is flooding. It’s just the area on one side of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, which I will show you further down in the post.

I wanted to go down there and see it before it becomes a construction zone.

The official dates for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are March 20-April 14, 2004.

My husband, Alan, and I braved the city to check it out on March 19th, and it was definitely peak bloom already. Nature was out there showing off, and people were everywhere.

If it was that crowded on a weekday, in the middle of the day, you know the weekends are much worse. I highly recommend not going in the middle of a Saturday or Sunday, even on foot. If you can find a time to go during the week, or early in the morning, I would highly recommend it.

I sprung the idea of going to see the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin on Alan very last minute. He works in the city, so I figured we could metro over.

That was the plan. Unfortunately, I forgot to put my military I.D. card back into my purse, so I could not drive on to the military base where Alan works. Instead, I had to pick him up at the gate. Then we drove down to park in the busiest, closest parking lot.

We did have to wait in a long line of cars. But hey, we got a great space!

Our space was so good, I got this photo from right by our car. We parked near the paddle boats. I think the paddle boats may have been open for business when we left, but no one was riding them. It was too cold for that.

I have lived in the D.C. area off and on over the past fifteen years, and somehow I have never taken a ride on those paddle boats. Add that to my bucket list of things I would like to do.

These trees are so majestic. There are many other places you can find them in the D.C. area. For one, Arlington National Cemetery has many of these, and it is much easier to find a parking space over there.

Last year I got to drive though them, as I drove our family into town for their visit. That was not enough for me this year. I wanted to get down there and walk among them, out in the crisp, cold, happy air.

Alan and I went just the two of us since the kids were in school. Besides, they would only complain if we made them go.

We had the best time just walking around, taking photos, and enjoying being out in the sun.

I’m extra proud of this particular photo of the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument. There is so much to take in here. Primarily you have the statue surrounded by beautiful trees. And didn’t they do an outstanding job on this particular monument?

Then you notice all the people in the picture. The D.C. Tidal Basin feels like a giant Instagram station while the trees are blooming. Everywhere you look everybody, and I do mean every last person, is stopping and taking photos. That’s why it is so hard to get down the sidewalk. There are beaten dirt paths by the sidewalks because of all the stopping.

But in this photo, there is so much more going on. There is a girl with a scooter. Ha! There’s a couple embracing in front of the water feature in the background. Then, of course, there are people posing and walking around.

I feel like that photo shows the whole point of festivals and taking part in exciting tourist attractions.

Getting outside and seeing the sights is so good for us. Look how it bonds people and promotes joy.

While we were by the MLK Jr. Memorial, two young women stopped me to take their picture. Now that’s normal, but bless their hearts, they didn’t even have their cameras with them. They asked if I could use my phone to take a photo and text it to them. Of course, I was happy to do so.

People often ask me to do things like that. I think I am a very non-threatening looking person to ask things. I think that also means I don’t have resting *witch* face, so hey, that’s good.

The funny thing is that I often get asked for directions, and if you know me, then you know that is hilarious. Talk about the blind leading the blind.

This is a good view of how the blooming cherry trees encircle the Tidal Basin, with so many famous Washington D.C. sights in the background.

When you get near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, on the opposite side of the basin from the paddle boats or the MLKJ Memorial, you begin to see the flooded area. It floods twice a day, though it wasn’t flooded when we walked by. You could still see all the dirt and erosion from where it floods so often.

This Stumpy mascot tree is standing beside the tree the District has nicknamed “Stumpy.” It has come to symbolize the flooded area. The flooding has stunted this tree’s growth enough that it is obvious.

I forgot to take a good photo of this famous little tree, but you can find it here. That link also has the news release about the flooding. The sea wall project will not be finished until 2027.

You can see the park ranger giving a news brief on the plans for the sea wall to correct the flooding problem.

The basin is flooding over the sidewalk and past all of this grass, affecting many of the cherry trees and re-routing foot traffic.

You see a lot of people in suits and ties in D.C. I always wonder if maybe they work for Congress, but I never know. I could walk past a famous political pundit, newsperson, or Congress person, or U.S. Senator, and I’d never know it. D.C. is a city I dearly love, but I cannot keep up with all the politics.

I’ll leave you with this blast from the past. This is Alan and me by the cherry blossoms in 2013. That’s eleven years ago now.

I look extremely younger. I think I stressed out too much during those eleven years.

Going to see the cherry blossoms is always worth doing to me. I just love a day out in Washington, D.C. It is by far my favorite city. The next few years will be marked by construction, as they fix up the sea wall. If you get a chance, go see it this year!

Check out these other Washington D.C. posts:

The Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

Touring the National Mall with Little Kids

The post Last Chance to See the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. Before Major Tidal Basin Reconstruction appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

You might be thinking, “I didn’t even know the US Army has a museum.”

Just a few years ago, there was not one, but now I am happy to report that the US Army does in fact have its very own museum. It is very close to Washington D.C., on an Army base named Fort Belvoir. And it is a fun one too.

Also, I will tell you, Fort Benning has a similar one that is called the National Infantry Museum, but it does not encompass the entirety of the United States Army branch. In fact, many of the branches within the Army have their own museum.

The one in D.C. is unique because it is for the whole Army. Its official name is the National Museum of the United States Army.

This museum takes you through the history of the U.S. Army and shows a little of what the Army is doing today as well. It tells the story of the brave men and women who have fought for our freedom through displays, real artifacts, and a lot of interactive fun stuff too.

Actually, there is way more here than you would expect, so I am going to tell ya all about what to expect when you visit.

When to go:

This museum is open every single day of the year, except for Christmas day. You can’t beat that.

Their hours are 9am-5pm.

We went on September, 11th, a Monday, and it was not crowded at all. In fact, it was ghost town in there, and I was just hoping they won’t go out of business because it was an excellent museum, especially if you are traveling with wiggly kids like we were.

Tickets:

Tickets are for specific times, but they are free. You can reserve them online. It was not crowded though, so you could probably get tickets at the door just fine.

Go here to reserve your time slot and date.

They do have a donation box near the door.

Is the U.S. Army Museum kid friendly?

Yes, very. There is a whole wing of hands on activities for kids, and even the normal museum exhibits have some hands-on activities, like this Army puzzle.

There are a lot of neat things to look at too. I should write a post about taking kids to museums though, because it is different than browsing on your own. We have dragged our kids (usually against their will) to museums all across America, and we have had mostly positive experiences.

However, we also do our best to keep low expectations and move quickly. This is always a little harder on the parent who is more interested in that particular museum. In the art museums in D.C., I was the one too engrossed in the paintings to realize our children were not popular with the security guards. Ha! My husband was mortified and ready to run, and I was like, “What? They’re being so good, and this place is amazing.”

At the Army Museum, Navy Museum, basically any war-related museum, Alan is the one reading everything, and I am the one asking to go to the cafe with the kids after a while.

It’s a balance. It does save the day for the quicker parent to escort the kids through a quick browse of the museum. Then when their attention span is getting stretched past their capabilities and melt downs are beginning to happen, the quick parent needs to escort the kids to a snack, play, or gift shop area.

In full disclosure, I get annoyed with adults who go through museums too slowly too. I feel like all you need to do is see the highlights, read a few plaques, get the general idea, take some fun photos, and leave. All of that takes me a couple of hours tops.

D.C. art museums aside, I am always the one with the kids on the bench at the end, waiting for the rest of the family to join us. What can possibly take them that long? I’ll never understand.

In fact, I have some good photos of me and the boys waiting on the benches for Alan or relatives, but they will not let me post them on the internet, which is fair.

We found something for everyone at this museum, even our loudest whiner. Our little whiner enjoyed the virtual reality and the cafe and the Army puzzle.

Our Army officer enjoyed everything and was probably wishing he had come without us (ha!).

Military Kid Experience

Nowhere else will you get this, and I thought it was just fantastic. They had a military kid experience quiz on a large touchscreen t.v. at the front of the interactive wing of the museum.

All four of our kids enjoyed answering the questions. It was so extremely relatable to our nomadic lifestyle. At the end of each question in the quiz, it would give what percentage of participants had chosen each answer.

The Experimental Learning Center

The interactive area is to the right of the front doors when you first walk into the museum. It is called the Experimental Learning Center, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen in a museum. This was high tech learning and lots of it. I learned science concepts in there I knew nothing about.

They have all these training modules you can participate in, and you can select the easier or the harder versions. We worked on engineering, vision wavelengths, virus studies, and all sorts of scientific concepts. I learned a lot about night vision and infrared light at one of the modules. This was all impressive.

If you have older kids, or people who enjoy this type of thing in your group, you could easily spend an hour just in this area. We did. We are definitely hands-on-learning people.

If you have younger children, you will need to let them set your pace. It can be hard sometimes to let the younger ones set the pace for your tour, but the fact is that if you don’t, you will end up with an over-tired, frustrated, crying toddler on the floor, while you are questioning all of your life choices..

Meanwhile, I had such a good time trying everything out in the Experimental Learning Center, I either forgot to take photos or they were not allowed. So don’t skip the learning center!

Extras at this Museum:

Two activities here are extra, paid add-ons. They had a flight simulator and a virtual reality Army experience next to the main exhibits of the museum. I did the flight simulator with two of our boys, and Alan did the virtual reality with the other two.

I think they were $10 extra a piece, per person. That adds up quick, so that is why three of us did one of them and the other three of us did the other.

I did enjoy the flight simulator though. It reminded me of a Universal Studios simulator I got to go on back in high school, and I thought it was fun.

The Exhibits

The exhibits are authentic and fun to look at. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour through all of America’s wars and seeing the uniform of each different generation.

We actually ran out of time to see it all. If you do not want that to happen to you, schedule your ticket earlier in the day. My husband is in the Army, and he and one of my sons took f-o-r-e-v-e-r going through this. My teenage sons, my nine-year-old, and I ended up hanging out at the cafe eating chips and drinking sodas for a while. The nine-year-old ran out of patience to finish the whole museum, and we were all hungry.

In conclusion, touring this museum is a great way to spend an afternoon with your family.

When you go places and engage in the world together as a family you cannot help but have fun. And yes, it felt like delicious bonding time with our sons.

We watched movies, tried out all the interactive stuff, did puzzles, laughed together, and complained to each other. What more could you want in a day trip? I got some delightful family shots of us at the end. They don’t let me share those.

So we went in with some unwilling participants for sure. Some of our group wanted to stay home and play x-box. But we went anyway, and we had a great time.

I highly recommend this museum to anyone. You will learn so much and have fun doing it. Plus, it instills a nice sense of patriotism that you don’t get many places.

I firmly believe we learn more from these immersive experiences than we do from school history books.

And for the full story of when we took all the kids and some of their friends to a D.C. art museum, go here.

For more fun things to do in D.C., see this article.

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This is one of those questions I get asked the most from friends who are not local to the D.C. area. We have lived here off and on since 2009, and we have ALWAYS loved hosting our friends and family when they come visit the DC area.

One time we had so many guests that the older boys’ room looked like a summer camp type situation, with 5 young kids on air mattresses in one bed room. That was so much fun! I wish we had a bigger house so we could host more people more often!

Everyone always wants to know where are the best places to go, what are the best things to do, especially when it is their first visit to our nation’s capitol. You want to pack only the best places into your vacation, and usually you are limited on time.

There are always so many places to go in DC, and most of them are FREE.

This city is so special. You will love your vacation here. I think the fact that it will not leave you completely broke really seals the deal. The main expenses are lodging and food, no need to buy pricy admission tickets.

#1. DIY Moonlight Monument Tour

This is by far our favorite DC activity. And when I say “our”, I mean my husband and me. We wait for rush hour to end, pile whoever is visiting into ye old minivan, and go see visit our favorite monuments without having any trouble finding parking spaces.

If you are wondering what to do in DC in only a weekend or a night, do the moonlight monument tour. It is such an easy trip add-on because it costs nothing, and it is after business hours.

Most of the museums close around 5:30, but the monuments are open and well lit at night too.

There are also tour buses downtown that will take you around. I would only do that if someone is your group has a hard time with walking because those are around $59 a person, and this stuff is fairly accessible on foot. However, some times of the year you can get these tickets more cheaply.

It is super easy to park around the National Mall once the Smithsonian museums close at 5:30. You will find plenty of parallel spaces open.

We tend to park close to the Lincoln Monument. Then we go hike around that area. You can see the Lincoln, the famous long reflection pool overlooking the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Wall, the Korean War Memorial all right there, fairly close together, without having to move your car.

If you are spry, you can hike a bit and also see the World War II Memorial, but honestly we rarely make it that far.

If we are suffering from sore feet or backs, we sometimes skip the Korean War or the World War II at that stop because, well, people can only do so much, and those are a little further from where we tend to park.

However, the cool thing about where we park is that it is also fairly close to the White House. So before or after we go see the Vietnam Wall/ Lincoln Memorial area, we walk in the opposite direction to where you can get a glorious view of the White House.

So that is several major landmarks, with only having to park once and no train riding required.

Actually, I could go on and on about this, so I should make the Moonlight Monument Tour its own post in the near future with even more details.

#2. Tour the Capitol Building

You can go online and sign up for a time about a week out or more from when you want to go. I went online to check how far out it is currently booking in January. Currently Capitol tours are booked out 4 solid days in advance, and then a few times are left for each day after that.

So make sure you book your Capitol tour at least a week in advance, especially if it is over a weekend. Saturdays book a month and a half in advance, currently, and that is in January.

The Capitol building is beautiful and has so much history on display. You can even eat lunch in their food court.

#3. Tour the White House

This one takes a little more planning. You have to do this at least a month out, through a request to your state’s Congressional office. Go here to read how to do that.

Of all the places I have visited in DC, this one felt the most exciting and surreal to me. My mother-in-law arranged a visit for us many years ago. Back then, in 2010, we were not allowed to take photos, so I have no photographic evidence, but it was AWESOME. I loved getting to see all those famous rooms!

#4. Library of Congress

(closed Sundays and Mondays)

You will love the inside of the Library of Congress! This is the most underrated place to visit in D.C. Well, this and the art museums. The actual art museums are incredible too.

Of all the buildings you can tour, this one is the most ornate. The ceiling is a marvel. The decor! The books! And anyone can go in!! Go online here to schedule your timed ticket. This one is much easier to get than the Capitol. You can log in any time in the day and probably find a good time available at any time of the day that the library is open.

It is breathtaking in there. I hope you get to go inside!

#5. Smithsonian’s National Zoo

They have pandas!! And orangutans!

Just be warned that if you go on a hot day, this will be a physically exhausting day. Plan to buy yourself an ice cream or an ice cold beverage, which the zoo does sell.

It is an excellent zoo. It is a one-way giant hill though. Just know you are going to get good exercise. If you have small children or babies, bring or rent a stroller for sure.

Do check their website for parking and pass information. Admission is free, but parking is not. It is north of DC, not near downtown, so you will need transportation of some kind.

#6. Go see a Nationals Game!

This is another huge favorite of our family. We love the Nats and watching them play. Did you know you can make any kid like just about any sport if you buy them enough concession stand food? Ha! But at this stadium, especially in the summer, my other advice is to look for seats in the shade.

The mascots are four former presidents, and they race, and it is hilarious. Sometimes they fall too, with their giant heads, and it is just adorable.

Also, this activity is not as expensive as some of the other professional sports, which makes it my favorite. Ha!

#7. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Did you know that out of all the Smithsonians this one gets the most people going through it each day? I guess it is just insanely popular with kids and flying enthusiasts. Also, it has a McDonald’s in there. I remember that being a selling point when our boys were little. Those other museum cafeterias were so much more expensive.

So yes, this one is wildly popular, and it is thoroughly interesting and fun. Can you tell it isn’t my personal favorite? I like it though. It just isn’t my number one pick.

#8. Smithsonian Carousel

We tried to fight it at first, but the fact is the carousel is kind of a lifesaver for kids. Sometimes they are selling ice cream cones near there too. They know where the kids are.

But after a day, or even an hour, of walking around in the hot sun or cold wind and hiking through all these museums and trying to figure out Metro train schedules, the carousel is a necessary treat for the whole family.

My best advice is if you want a happy day out in DC with children, do not skip the carousel and a good ice cream stand if it is hot outside. It will keep the family from staging a mutiny. That way you can stay out enjoying your time in D.C. longer.

You can find the Carousel on the side of the mall kind of close to the Air and Space Museum.

#9. National Gallery of Art

This one is free admission to everyone! In fact, all Smithsonian museums are free to all.

I wrote all about taking our kids to this museum here. It made for a pretty hilarious day. They aren’t supposed to touch things, and jumping up and down on the benches will get them reprimanded by the gallery security guards. There are security guards everywhere, and I think kids make them nervous.

So if you go with little ones, or even energetic big kids, do your best to just keep the group moving so they do not get bored and rowdy. Have low expectations for how long you will get to stay in the art museums.

But these museums are incredible, and I think you will be glad you went. One day I went in there alone and had the BEST day, calmly perusing the galleries. D.C.’s art galleries are actually my favorite museums in the city.

If you go alone or with other adults, you could have the BEST time.

#10. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (the dinosaur museum) is right next to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History— so you can knock these out back to back.

I want to reiterate that all Smithsonian museums are free.

These are both fascinating museums. You can fill up a whole day between the two of these. You could do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They are right next door to each other.

No advanced tickets are needed for the Museum of Natural History or the Museum of American History, and all Smithsonians are free.

If you are quick, you could also squeeze in the new Museum of African American History & Culture, which is also next door to these.

The African American Museum is very new, so you still have to get a timed ticket for entry to that one. The good news is you can get one for the same day you request it, fairly easy, so long as it isn’t a Saturday. That is why I have not been yet, but one of my teenagers went. He said it was very good.

If your kids love dinosaur bones or animals, the Museum of Natural History is a must-see.

I think I have seen every inch of this museum a dozen times, but it is exciting to see so many dinosaur bones. If that is not your thing, they also have the giant Hope Diamond there in another section of the museum.

The American History museum has a wide variety of exhibits, from the history of transportation to First Ladies gowns.

They used to have a huge presidential section that seems smaller to me now, but it is still there, and it does include President Abe Lincoln’s hat. For more information, this is another of my favorites, so I have written about this museum twice, both here and here.

#11. National Portrait Gallery-Smithsonian

This one is my favorite for how well it tells the story of America. Also, I love the complete collection of Presidential portraits upstairs.

It is not on the National Mall with many of the Smithsonians, but it is only a couple of metro stops away, and it is AWESOME. I actually like it better than the Smithsonian American History Museum. I feel like it tells the story of real America better.

There are halls of portraits and art from famous Americans, going all the way back to our country’s colonial period. Then on the opposite side of the building there is the most enjoyable collection of American folk art I have ever seen. No stuffy art here. This is entertaining, and you will really connect with it.

Then upstairs, they have every single Presidential portrait. I absolutely love it.

#12. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

I have been a couple of times, and it is such a moving and impactful place. My favorite part is the videos of survivor interviews at the end. You get to see all these elderly people tell their story of how they survived. They tell about their fears, their triumphs, running from Nazi soldiers, life in a concentration camp, and fleeing to other countries.

These stories at the end enrich the experience so much because they are stories of hope after a whole museum of horror and sadness.

You will need to get your timed ticket for this museum here. Some times you can get them same day, sometimes you need to book it prior, depending on when you visit and how busy they are.

#13. Arlington National Cemetery

This can be exhausting if you try to do it all on foot. If you are spending a lot of time at the cemetery, and you want to see it all, you will want to buy an Arlington National Cemetery bus tour ticket, which they sell at the visitor center where you first arrive. You can buy those same day.

If you opt to go the free-on-foot route, just chart a course to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That is the main attraction.

It sounds funny to say, because this is a cemetery, but it is a beautiful place. If you travel up the hill to the Robert E. Lee house, which is called The Arlington House and museum, there is a perfect view of Washington, D.C. You can tour the house too.

The Northern generals felt like they had the perfect revenge on Lee when they took his estate and turned it into a giant graveyard.

The whole park does have a quiet, solemn vibe. You might want to warn your children to think of it as a quiet place.

#14. Museum of the Bible

We actually just went there for the second time the other day. This is good for the whole family too. I mean babies and toddlers will get tired of any place, but this museum is surprisingly interactive.

Some exhibits are more traditional, but even those have lots of good videos and statues to look at. For more about the Bible Museum, you can read the full article I wrote here.

This one is not free, but children, military, and seniors do get a discount. Anyone under 18 qualifies as “children.” The child ticket is way cheaper than the adult price. You do not need these in advance. Tickets can be purchased same day on site.

#15. Mount Vernon, Home of President George Washington

This is the number one choice field trip destination for kids in the D.C. area. It is so kid friendly because it is not just an antique house to explore, with a museum feel. Mount Vernon is also home to many farm animals and outdoor displays. Some times of the year there are also hay rides. We have always had a great time taking our children to Mount Vernon.

At Christmas you can sign up for a candlelight tour, and you get to meet Martha Washington on your tour. They also do colonial style dancing, hot cocoa and fires, and live camels at the candle light tour.

But be warned. Mount Vernon is not free. For more info, go here.

#16. Old Town Alexandria

You may be able to find a hotel more affordably in Alexandria, and if you do, take a little time to check out Old Town Alexandria. Most of Old Town predates Washington, D.C. There is so much history here. Stroll the streets. Go shopping. Have a lovely lunch. There is rarely ever a wait for lunch at most places.

#17. Thomas Jefferson Memorial and surrounding monuments

Park your car close to the Thomas Jefferson monument. They have a ton of parking over there, divided into several different lots, near the Tidal Basin. There you walk along the path beside the water, and you can see the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument and a huge display dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression. Plus, it has a beautiful view of the Thomas Jefferson Monument and the tidal basin. There are even rocks that kids love to climb on in some areas near the FDR Memorial.

If you come in spring, be warned the Thomas Jefferson area becomes the most popular spot in town as the gorgeous cherry blossom trees that surround the tidal basin bloom. It is a breathtaking sight to behold.

#18. National Botanical Gardens, right in front of the Capitol

When our kids were little, we used to LOVE to go through the US Botanical Gardens. It is just a quick, easy thing to do that our kids always enjoyed. At Christmas they often have electric trains running through there too, an added bonus for our little boys.

#19. The Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

This is a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. The Memorial is located outside in front of the Pentagon, easily accessible through the Pentagon parking lot.

If you get to go inside the Pentagon, there are even more tributes inside.

#20. Chinatown– At least drive or ride by it.

DC’s Chinatown is not very big, but they do have a beautiful archway that is worth seeing, and there are good restaurants near there too.

#21. Go to a Wizards Game

Disclaimer: This list is not in preference order because I can assure you my oldest son would put this as number one on the list. Alan took two of our boys this year, and they had the best time. If your group likes to eat popcorn, yell, and carry on at a basketball game this is for you.

#22. Visit the National Archives building where they have the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence on display.

One time I even happened up on a genealogy conference going on down there, and I got to attend for free. You can check the Archives’ website to see if they will be hosting anything special during your visit.

#23. And so much more. Take your pick from the MANY MANY other museums and attractions in town.

This was just a quick list of our favorite 23.

The US Navy Museum on Washington Navy Yard is also so good, as well as the US Army Museum on Fort Belvoir. Come to think of it, there is also a humongous US Marine Corp Museum on I95, South of the D.C. When the kids were little, they actually deemed the US Marine Museum playground, which is practically in the woods by the parking lot, the BEST playground in all of DC.

We actually went to the US Army Museum recently because it is new. I will have to write about that one soon.

Oh! And if you come in winter, the crowds are so small, and there are ice skating rinks!!

Plus, you can go to Ford’s Theatre to see where Lincoln was assassinated. That is on my list of places I still have not made it to but want to. You can go see a show there, or you can take a tour. Tickets are free and available same-day from what I can tell, so long as there is no show going on at that time. Here is the website for tours.

And! You can even go see a top notch, but probably pricey, show at The Kennedy Center.

We have done a lot of traveling as a military family, and Washington, D.C. still holds a special place in my heart as my favorite city.

It is just so clean!! The Metro train throughout DC and its suburbs feels so much safer to me than New York City’s subway system.

The National Mall has a feel of crisp, green optimism with all the grass and the white marble-looking architecture. I hope you get to come and enjoy it as much as I do. Feel free to ask any questions you have about touring DC in the comments.

The post 23 of the Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

Day 6 of The 12 Days of Jumping into fall and recovering from summer is all about loving the life that you have!

Don’t you love how one of the main themes of fall is thankfulness? What a healthy season! (trick-or-treating aside..) Pumpkins, thankfulness, more tolerable temperatures, beautiful foliage, and fall festivals! What’s not to love???

Being thankful for what you have has to be one of the most powerful sources we have to keep ourselves SANE in this roller coaster world.

We are thankful for many people and things, but today I want to focus on how thankful I am for this unpredictable, hectic, always-changing military life we lead.

Our life has been profoundly impacted by Alan’s military service. This summer my husband reached 16 years of service in the military. Right about that time, we also moved from Georgia to the Washington, D.C. area.

This was our 3rd move in 4 years. Not only that, but Alan brought me home a list of possibilities for his next assignment! So while the cardboard boxes were still on the curb, I was sitting on my sofa setting up my wishlist for where we will move NEXT, a little less than two years from now. In the words of Jack Black on Jumangi, “I can’t even with this.”

property of: https://tenor.com/view/jumanji-jumanji-welcome-to-the-jungle-jumanji-gifs-cant-even-with-this-place-jack-black-gif-9846302

I used to look at those lists with excitement. Now I’ll admit the only emotion I felt was tiredness and reluctancy. Move again? Must we? We’ve moved 11 times since we began this journey, and I’ve been with him every step of the way, but can’t I just dig a hole and stay in it already!!!??

And who knows? Maybe he’ll find a local office to work for, and we won’t move at all. One can certainly hope.

Many many years ago, Alan was a young captain, considering leaving the Army. The deployment tempo was high. He was headed back to Iraq, and our duty station in Alabama was miserable. Alan thought if he quit the Army, it would make me happy.

But I knew better. I never hated the Army, and I’ve always wanted Alan to have a job that he enjoys, which for him is the Army. Finding a job you love can be a hard thing to do, and he’s found his. I would never take that away from him.

So here are the 20 reasons I love being a military spouse, even when it may make me momentarily want to scream.

#21. G.I. Bill!!

This one should actually be much higher up on the list, so we’ll just say this list isn’t in any kind of order.

Alan signed his G.I. Bill over to be used by dependents, so we at least have one of the four children’s college paid for. That’s a very big deal!

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

#20. Our children are interesting, well educated young people.

Redwood trees and sequoias so big you can drive a car through them? They haven’t only read about those. They touched them and stepped inside of them.

The differences between the beaches on the Pacific coast and the Gulf of Mexico? They could tell you volumes.

Rafts of Sea lions and pods of dolphins swimming with humpback whales? We got to see those in action too. Did you know that those smaller water mammals follow the whales around in the ocean while they feed?

Stereotypes? Psssshh  My kids can tell you that from D.C. to California, from Alabama to..okay we really haven’t been very far north…people are mostly the same.

#19. I probably have HALF as much junk as someone who moves maybe only every 7 years.

We always clean out every knick and cranny of the house when we pack up and again when we unpack!

#18. Our boys have amazing social skills.

They are still shy and quiet sometimes, yes. But I think that’s a good thing. When you move every few years, you learn how to make friends and make them quickly, but not hastily. First, you observe your surroundings for just who it is you actually want to be friends with.

One of my sons even had to deal with a bully last year, but he held his own and created his own group in the process that was neither the “popular crowd” nor the outcasts. I was so proud of him.

Me with 2 of my mil spouse besties back in 2003, in Houston, Texas

#17. You learn something different from each person that you befriend.

Having lived in so many different places and starting over again and again, we’ve met way more people than if we had stayed in one spot.

From one family, we learned about lacrosse. From another, hilarious jokes. The list goes on: life in Hawaii, generosity, Catholicism, crawlfish, Chick-fil-a inner workings–Did you know that there are people who camp out at Chick fil a grand openings to score free chicken?

#16. Free Health Care (This one could also be #1..It’s a big deal.)

Yes, we like to gripe about our looooong pharmacy wait times, short clinic hours, and unpredictable service. But a lot of that you’d get anywhere, and the fact is that you can’t beat free.

I gave birth to 4 babies for free. Alan had PRK eye surgery for free. (Okay, they need to cut that out and switch to Lasik like everyone else, but that’s another topic for another day..)

Tricare has paid for plenty of MRIs and x-rays too. I never paid a dime for those. Free health care rocks!!!!!

Now if we could just stay in one place long enough for a doctor to finish evaluating my heart problem, it’d save me a lot of confusion.

#15. Military Discounts

Many stores will actually give us a discount for being active duty military, and that’s exciting, especially at Lowe’s!

The 2007 Army Recruiters Ball in Panama City Beach, Florida. I’ll never forget how uncomfortable that dress was. It was so tight around my ribcage I felt like I couldn’t breathe. We had to leave early so I could get a full breath of air!! LOL

#14.  Military Balls

Supposedly, there are frequently fancy dinners we call balls. I say supposedly because while I often see photos of my friends at these, I haven’t been to one since 2007. What’s the deal with that, Alan? Take your wife dancing.

#13. Good Dental Plan

Don’t ask me about braces, though. I will know soon enough. We have two kids approaching that hurdle soon.

Dental is important! More money saved!

#12. Disney Discounts

Yes, I know I mentioned discounts already, but since Disney is…well, Disney. I thought it deserved its own number.

There’s even a special resort on Disney World property just for military personnel and their families! We’ve never actually stayed there because as a family of 6 we require a ginormous room. (Ask me about the Art of Animation suites sometimes—AMAZING!)

Alan was working overseas, and I managed to meet up with him in Israel for a week.

#11. Overseas Travel Options

I always know if a friend has lived in Germany or not when I enter their home. How I love all the beautiful Polish pottery and European furniture they bring back with them, along with the BMW in their driveway.

We’ve never been stationed overseas because we’ve never asked to be, but how awesome is it that it’s an option?

Our former nanny, Analise, has spent the past 2 years living in Italy with the Airforce, and it looked like she had the time of her life.

#10.  Aafes Gas!!

Aafes stores, as in the PX, BX, etcetera do not seem to be much cheaper than any other store to me. But gas definitely is a better deal than in the civilian sector, so we love our Aafes “shopettes.”

Navy housing in California

#9. Safe, sidewalk neighborhoods– Living on post!

I love living on post. We don’t currently because we chose our home based on schools, but we have spent many years living on post. Military base living is a sweet deal. There are always sidewalks. You have a ton in common with every single one of your neighbors. The base usually has a hospital, a grocery store, a PX/BX, a gas station, a gym, and walking trails.

Best of all, when you move, which you always do…the move out procedure is simple and predictable. You know exactly what is expected. Basically, you just hand them some money, they clean it for you, and they do a walk through to make sure there’s nothing broken, and you go. Love!!!!

#8. The Commissary

I occasionally hear someone complain about this marvelous place, and I have to keep my face from looking at them like they have three eyeballs.

The commissary is my FAVE!!!! Meat is cheaper. Produce is GOOD and WAY cheaper. Boxed goods are reasonable. Coupons are everywhere throughout the store, and they will bring in regional foods from all over the world to make their oh-so-cosmopolitan customer base happy. What is not to like?

Oh, the bagger thing. You do have to tip the bagger. Buy produce and meat, and the savings will make up for it.

#7. Playgrounds everywhere

You know what else military bases always have? Playgrounds everywhere. It’s as though there’s some kind of building code that says per every 40 households there must be a unique playground. Hmmm..maybe there is some sort of regulation on that..

#6. Free gym!

You have to live or work close enough to base to take advantage of it, but you can’t beat free gym membership. No, there’s not childcare. I used to go only when Alan got home from work. Some gyms even have classes you can sign up for, like Pilates or Spin.

#5. For love of country

I recently read a person’s rant saying that being a military spouse is not service to your country. I was like, “Say whaaa?” She’s entitled to her opinion, but I think it’s laughable. Tell that to the young mom who hasn’t seen her husband in 15 months. Meanwhile, she’s on 24 hour toddler duty, Christmas decorating duty, and allll the potty training and dog poop scooping, all so that her husband can fight for our country. You’re going to say that is not patriotic service? Oh honey, that IS service.

If she didn’t do that service, her spouse would have to come home for “Lack of family care plan,” taking another soldier out of the fight. Therefore, yes, it counts.

As far as that goes, military kids are also rendering a patriotic service. They are sacrificing having a parent for months or a year at a time, for our country. My oldest two boys have sacrificed a total of 21 months of deployed parent service, and that’s only counting the time that their daddy was actually overseas fighting while they went on without having a father in the home, not counting all the time they were gone for training.

So yes, being a military family is a patriotic service.

There’s a song, I forget the name of it, but it’s about a child missing their military parent at Christmas. It’s one of those that touches a nerve so hard, my kids will stand up and scream at you until you turn it off if they hear it. It’s just too painful for them to listen to after all they’ve endured.

My AMAZING and FUN mil spouse friends.

#4. Community!!!

There’s an instant bonding between military families, which is part of the reason living on post is so much fun. When we lived in Navy housing in California, it was downright magical. I’m not even exaggerating.

The kids ran from house to house playing with each other. They biked all over the neighborhood. Our oldest could even run down to the shoppette for us to buy milk or bread. Sometimes I’d dream up errands for him to run just to give him a job to do.

Women on my street were all sharing the burden of raising families with a husband in graduate school. We did Thanksgiving together, birthdays, ball games, you name it. Most of us even ended up moving away around the same time, and I’ll never forget how empty and sad the street looked.

Those are friends for life. We could see them tomorrow and pick right up where we left off.

Actually most of them got together this past weekend in Virginia, as Laura was evacuated from the hurricane in North Carolina.

#3. Free Over the Counter Medicines

You can’t make this stuff up. If I go to the doctor for, say my bad hip, they will maybe prescribe me physical therapy and Lidocaine patches, but they will also give me free bottles of over-the-counter Advil or Tylenol. I will have to wait an hour for those to be ready, but hey, it’s free!

#2. Retirement Benefits

With my medical history, I’d be completely out of luck if I didn’t have Alan’s health insurance through the Army, and when we get out, that will still be there for us. Thank goodness!

If you do your 20 years, you get the healthcare insurance, the Commissary usage, and a nice retirement paycheck for the rest of your life. It’s one of our most comforting benefits!

Enjoying the snow in the D.C. area, 2013

#1. The Adventure

Yep, we love the adventure. Moving is my favorite and least favorite part of being a military spouse. You HAVE to choose to see it as an adventure and get out and explore each new area. This is what makes the nomad life doable!!

For our last move, we got a new kind of adventure. We returned to a place we’ve lived before, for the first time ever. My fourth son was able to start kindergarten at the same school my first son started kindergarten 7 years ago.

We moved back into the very same neighborhood we lived in before. I can’t tell you what a comforting feeling it was to return to our old paths. I have friends all over the neighborhood, and I love it. This must be what it feels like to stay in one place and actually know people. To see these 12-year-olds and be able to say, “I knew him before he started kindergarten,” is just so exciting for me.

I’m soaking it in and enjoying it as much as I can because it won’t be long before we are off on our next grand adventure!

The post 20 Reasons I Love Being a Military Spouse appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

Photo and article by guest writer Amy Lloyd

Thank you, Flight 93: You died so that I might live.

It was 8:30 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2001, and it started out just like a typical day in Congressman John Thune’s Congressional office on Capitol Hill. Lights still off, the aroma of coffee and the sound of the copy machine firing up for the busy day ahead, we soaked in the quiet before the storm of the phones ringing off the hook or the latest crisis while reading legislative briefings and writing House floor vote recommendations for the Congressman.

The office opened at 9 a.m. with a staff meeting to discuss the day’s legislative schedule, constituent meetings and press calls. A few minutes before the meeting was to start someone yelled, “Turn on the TV! The World Trade Center is on fire!” Instead of turning on our own desk TV’s, we rushed into the Congressman’s office and watched the news coverage together to discover the North Tower was struck by a plane. Was it an accident or was it a terrorist attack were the questions being asked by Congressman Thune and my fellow staffers, by the reporters on TV and by Americans all over the world. By 9:03 a.m., we knew the answer to the question when we watched a second plane hit the South Tower on live cable news.

We tried the best we could to brief the Congressman on the day’s schedule. When we were almost done, my husband Matt called the main line of the office insisting to talk to me. He was across the Potomac River near the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, to get our car serviced. “Great,” I thought to myself, “It’s probably a hefty repair.” When I got to the phone he was panicked.

He saw a low-flying plane overhead, felt the ground shake and heard the impact of Flight 77 crash into the Pentagon. “Evacuate! Get out of there! Just. Get. Out!”

The TV coverage changed to split-screen live video of the attack on America. We decided as a staff we needed to figure out where to go and what to do. The problem was no one knew. My clearest memory of 9/11 to this day was our legislative director on the phone with the U.S. Capitol Police yelling, “What do you mean you don’t know where to send the Congressman? What do you mean you don’t know what we’re supposed to do?”

We decided to evacuate to our chief of staff’s Capitol Hill apartment a few blocks away. The Capitol Complex was formally evacuated shortly thereafter. When we arrived at his place, we learned of the plane that crashed in Somerset County, PA. Some of us tried to make phone calls, but everything was jammed with all of Washington trying to call loved ones. The entire city was under evacuation.

Congressman Thune’s wife, Kimberley, was with us. She rarely travelled to Washington, DC, but she was providentially with us on that day and provided a calming presence for us all. The press secretary’s email and voicemail was full from reporters in South Dakota wanting to speak to Congressman Thune. She set up a conference call and while he spoke to the reporters we all sat there listening, still in disbelief.

The following days revealed that there was a good chance Flight 93, the plane that crashed upside-down almost 600 miles per hour into the Somerset County field in Pennsylvania, was headed for the U.S. Capitol, where I was working.

In the immediate wake of the tragedy, we experienced a coming-together of Americans more than I have experienced in my short lifetime. Americans returned to churches and temples and prayed for our nation. Men and women felt moved to join the U.S. Armed Forces to protect our country and fight for freedom. Republicans and Democrats worked together like no other time in contemporary politics. Amidst the tragedy and the mourning, there was a sweet fellowship of solidarity.

Every year on 9/11, I thank God for the ordinary people that courageously acted to prevent Flight 93 from making it to the Capitol.

But, as the years go by, I wonder if the tragedy of the day has become lost. In recent years, I returned to school to study music. As a graduate student last year I sat in a classroom on 9/11 surrounded by students 20 years younger than me. The weather was exactly how it was on 9/11, a beautiful morning. The professor lectured on instrumental music of the seventeenth century while I acted like I was paying attention, but instead was deep in thought doing the math on how old my classmates were on 9/11 and if they even remember it. I decided that day to take our children to the Flight 93 National Memorial as soon as we could make it happen.

This past July we finally visited the Memorial. As we approached the visitor’s center, there was a Park Ranger at a small exhibit explaining the various areas of the park. She asked after her short speech if there were any personal stories that people wanted to share from 9/11. I told them that I was in the Longworth House Office Building on 9/11. A woman looked at me and said, “Those people saved your life.” I could barely speak, “I’ve always wanted to come here.”

We walked to the overlook before going into the visitor’s center. On the glass of the balcony is the quote; “A common field one day. A field of honor forever.” Matt asked me if I wanted to take a photo, but I couldn’t do it. This was hallowed ground. It was a powerful moment standing there looking down the hill at the boulder that is at the crash site.

I just kept thinking over and over: “They died so that I might live. They died so that I might live.” Seventeen years of life and living since September 11, 2001 flashed before me in my thoughts in a matter of minutes as I stood in that spot.

I realized maybe my children might not have been born had the plane made it to the Capitol. And, as a Christian, one who believes that Jesus Christ, the son of God, died so that I might live, I realized it was the most poignant symbol of my faith that I could ever experience on this side of eternity.

On Sunday, the Flight 93 National Memorial dedicated its new Tower of Voices chime structure including a wind chime to represent each of the 40 lives of the passengers and crew on Flight 93. Their voices will not and cannot be forgotten.

Thank you Flight 93: You died so that I might live.

You died so that 35,000 Americans at the U.S. Capitol might live.

You died so that America might live.

We will never forget.

This article is written by Amy Lloyd. Amy served as a legislative assistant for three Members of Congress from 2000-2006. She is now a singer, speaker and teacher based out of Southern Maryland near Washington, DC. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @Lloyd_Amy_. For bookings, go to www.amylloydmusic.com.

The post Thank You, Flight 93. You died so that I might live. appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

Museum of the Bible, Washington, D.C.

New Museum

This past year a new museum opened up in downtown Washington, D.C., in between all the federal buildings, metro stops, and Starbucks. In fact, this museum shares brick with the Federal Center Southwest Metro stop, making it an extremely convenient destination!

The Museum of the Bible is only a few blocks away from the United States Capitol building!

Alan and I discussed visiting it, but we weren’t overly motivated. After all, was it literally a museum full of Bibles? I mean, we love God’s word and all, but how do you make a museum out of books? That sounds more like a library.

Well, last week, I finally realized that I was about to lose ALL of my freedom. Alan was headed back to work, and all four children are out of school for the summer for two MORE months.

I suddenly knew I HAD to get out right away!

At the first opportunity, I made my escape, not even sure where I was going. I only knew I was headed to downtown Washington, D.C. Somewhere between my house and the metro station, I decided upon the Bible museum, rather than visiting any of the Smithsonians, which I’ve seen a dozen times.

Metro Stop

Federal Center Southwest. It’s on the blue, orange, and silver lines, and it literally puts you out on the opposite end of the same building that houses the Bible Museum. At the top of the escalator, round either corner. Don’t cross any streets. Walk to the end of the building. You are there.

Pssst… you can download this app to help you navigate the D.C. Metro system. It’s also available for Apple devices.

Ticket Prices

Adult: $15

Kids 12 & Under: $10

No, I did not buy tickets in advance. I went inside and purchased at the counter, and I only had to wait behind 2 people.

How big is this place?

Much bigger than I thought. And thankfully, it was much more than just a giant museum of Bibles. Ha! I’m going to tell you what my favorite parts were, so if you only have a couple of hours you can cut right to the chase.

I have to admit that most of my favorite parts were the ones I couldn’t photograph. Sorry!! I did see one man cheating with his phone at his hip to take the forbidden photos, sort of like a certain one of Alan’s aunts always does….but y’all know I’m actually not much of a rebel..

But I will do my best to TELL you about those not-to-miss exhibits, even if I didn’t get a photo.

Let’s start with the first exhibit you come to after getting ticketed..the room of paintings and displays that are:

On loan from the Vatican

(!!! Wow. Sounds so official, right? These have to be good.)

circa 1209

So much of this room was lost on me because I did not find this display key until after I had walked around and looked at the paintings, not knowing what they meant.

Lesson learned: In the Vatican room, find the key to the RIGHT of the doors (I tend to always go left) before you peruse the gallery.

key that explains what each of the paintings are about

While I was in the Vatican room, I kept hearing loud bumps and such, and I thought, “What is there, a daycare above my head??”

No. Turns out it was this:

I actually don’t know what all goes on in here, but it sounded like fun. I was child free that day, so I passed on this.

Obviously, when I do take my children to the Museum of the Bible I will be spending plenty of time in the children’s experience wing, which I can tell you with strong certainty is adjacent to the Vatican gallery. Ha!!

The next exhibits I went through were about how Bible affects our culture, how the Bible has affected America (greatly), and the history of printing Bibles.

Those were three different large galleries.

This is a huge interactive computer display where you can take polls and see the results.

Freedom is a major theme throughout the Bible as well as American history. People on both sides of these issues have often sought to use the Bible to back up their views, but the people in this Freedom display used the Bible in the name of freedom.

The Bible & How it Affects Us

George Washington Carver is a big deal where I grew up (in the deep south where growing peanuts became profitable in place of cotton). He was a godly man dedicated to science and the Bible.

This section had hundreds of personal testimonies of how the Bible affected their lives as well as stories of important historical figures and their faith.

History of the Bible

I thought it was cool to see this replica of the Gutenberg press:

painting of the shepherds visiting baby Jesus

Naturally, I enjoyed this exhibit of Christianity in fashion. I love clothes.

In the elevator, there is this beautiful moving photo. I mean it actually moves.

What do you call that? Like a mini-video..a gif?

How I miss Israel. Someday let’s go back!

The Cafe!!!

The Mediterranean Clam Chowder!!!! LOVE!!! This is what I ordered. Photo from the Museum of the Bible.

Okay, I don’t know what this says about me, but the museum cafe was one of my FAVORITE parts of the museum. You can find it on the top floor. They had a variety of Mediterranean food, some things I had not seen since my trip to Israel, as well as regular American options. I found the food to be affordable and delicious.

On that same floor (the 6th), I took a stroll around and came upon this beautiful room, which I didn’t even realize the museum had:

This loooong window provides views of the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the National Monument.

That dome-like thing on the right is the Library of Congress. The one on the left is the Capitol.

Those domes are Smithsonian museums on the National Mall.

the Washington Monument

I thoroughly enjoyed soaking this in and taking pictures for my fellow tourists.

Right next to the long window on the 6th floor I found this exhibit of antiquities from Israel.

The long-term exhibit is called History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel, and it was my 2nd favorite part of the museum.

This is a real, Egyptian-style mummy found in Canaan, estimated from around 1100 BC.

I took photos of a few other ancient artifacts, to include altars, coins, and ancient writings, both Biblical and non Biblical.

The one in the center with the 4 corners is an Israeli altar. I can’t recall what the others are.

Egyptian account of the same stories found in the Bible. I love this sort of archaeological find!!

Oops!! So interesting, but I didn’t get a photo of the actual amulets. The description was exciting to me, so I focused more on it.

You can read more about the silver scrolls, which are even older than the Dead Sea scrolls, at this article I wrote here.

Next I went through the Hebrew Bible Experience.

No photos were allowed in this video/exhibit tour. It was a retelling of the high points of the Old Testament. This tour takes 30 minutes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Old Testament tour.

The Jesus of Nazareth exhibit, New Testament Theatre, and the Washington Revelations attraction are all on the 3rd floor, and I was running out of time. The museum was about to close!!

Washington Revelations

So I paid the $5 fee to see the Washington Revelations. I figured if it cost extra, it must be good, right???

It was SO fun. This is not for babies and toddlers, though, sad to say. It is more like a simulator/ride like you’d find at Disney or Universal. In fact, it reminded me of the Soarin’ ride at Epcot.

You stand and hold on to this fly board in front of you, but you never leave your spot. It’s just that the floor tilts around with what’s showing on the screen so that you feel like you are flying through Washington, D.C., looking at the many scripture references throughout the monuments and buildings in the city.

It was exhilarating. Two thumbs up here, but I don’t think John David (my youngest) will be big enough for it yet.

What I Missed!!

I was rather dismayed in researching for this post to realize that I missed some of the best stuff. Here’s what I wish I’d made it to:

•  New Testament Theatere, lasts 8 minutes, on the 3rd floor
• Stations of the Cross, by artist Gib Singleton, the crucifixion story illustrated in miniature statues

I think the Stations of the Cross is temporary too.

Make sure you don’t miss these!!

1. Washington Revelations– It was my favorite just because it was fun. (floor 3)
2.  Actually ALL of the 3rd floor. Just go there first.
3. 6th floor: That’s where I found the enormous viewing room, the restaurant, and the antiquities exhibit!

So basically hit the 3rd and 6th floors first, in my humble opinion. I think the basement actually had the Stations of the Cross, which I missed.

To learn more, see the webpage for the Museum of the Bible.

I did leave time to browse the gift shop by the exit, of course. I bought a cute little blue and white dish that was exactly like the ones we saw when we were souvenir shopping in Israel last summer.

Then I took a sweltering walk over to the Capitol building since it was so close.

…and I let a nice tourist take my photo for me.

I hope you get to visit the Museum of the Bible soon too!

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The post Why You Should Absolutely Go See the Bible Museum appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.